Focus Group Bingo

Recently we held some focus groups with the aware/non-triers of a consumer product.

I love focus groups because you can listen to consumers talk about your product, your category, or your ads.

I hate focus groups for the same reason. Some people listen to consumers and quickly draw a pre-conceived conclusion.

Listen up

This hazard makes listening all the more important. You spend thousands of dollars renting a facility, hiring a moderator, writing the questionnaire, recruiting the consumers, preparing the stimulus. You want to get the most out of the investment. Knowing what people say is critical. So turn off the distractions and pay attention.

Focus Group Bingo

A fun way to stay engaged is play focus group bingo. Before you get to the facility, make a grid like the one pictured above and populate it with terms you might expect consumers to say. These could include a product benefit or feature, a brand name, a competitor, and ad, or an annoying, oft-repeated phrase (like "that’s how we roll").

When a consumer utters one of the phrases, place an M&M candy on that square. Most focus group facilities have a good supply of M&Ms.

Not exactly a new idea….

Apparently there’s a company that actually offers a focus group bingo board. See it here. Their idea is based on the obligatory getting-to-know-you chit-chat that starts almost every focus group.

What’s on your Focus Group Bingo board?

Please suggest your favorite terms for focus group bingo in the comments section below.